South-eastern DR Congo at risk of humanitarian disaster of ‘extraordinary proportions,’ warns UN refugee agency
South-eastern DR Congo at risk of humanitarian disaster of �extraordinary proportions,’ warns UN refugee agency | UN News
var switchTo5x = true;var __st_loadLate = true;var useFastShare = 1;
if (typeof stLight !== 'undefined') { stLight.options({"publisher":"dr-d25eccc4-2f66-a40d-a4cb-ca5b51e5f460","version":"5x","lang":"en"}); }
(function(i,s,o,g,r,a,m){i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"]=r;i[r]=i[r]||function(){(i[r].q=i[r].q||[]).push(arguments)},i[r].l=1*new Date();a=s.createElement(o),m=s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];a.async=1;a.src=g;m.parentNode.insertBefore(a,m)})(window,document,"script","https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js","ga");ga("create", "UA-108509449-9", {"cookieDomain":".news.un.org"});ga("set", "anonymizeIp", true);ga("send", "pageview");ga('create', 'UA-108509449-1', 'auto', 'mainNewsTracker');
ga('mainNewsTracker.send', 'pageview');
ga('create', 'UA-4803886-1', 'auto', 'mainTracker');
ga('mainTracker.send', 'pageview');
jwplayer.key="W86afBFS8vNeCYPP5yrVZPepIGzxwPc9t6uI\/hq7WL4="
jQuery.extend(Drupal.settings, {"basePath":"\/en\/","pathPrefix":"","ajaxPageState":{"theme":"bootstrap_un_news","theme_token":"_TgOBNkJXWOjviqmsVNoRUZbQNy6_hUGt8W8g0Jy3DQ","js":{"sites\/all\/modules\/custom\/unnews_audio_player\/js\/unnews_audio.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap\/js\/bootstrap.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/jquery\/1.10\/jquery.min.js":1,"misc\/jquery.once.js":1,"misc\/drupal.js":1,"sites\/all\/libraries\/jwplayer\/jwplayer.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/ui\/minified\/jquery.ui.core.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/ui\/minified\/jquery.ui.widget.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/ui\/minified\/jquery.ui.button.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/ui\/minified\/jquery.ui.mouse.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/ui\/minified\/jquery.ui.draggable.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/ui\/minified\/jquery.ui.position.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/ui\/minified\/jquery.ui.resizable.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/ui\/minified\/jquery.ui.dialog.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/jquery_update\/replace\/ui\/external\/jquery.cookie.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/scaldtools\/scald_twitter\/scald_twitter.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/scaldtools\/scald_file\/scald_file.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/scaldtools\/scald\/modules\/providers\/scald_image\/scald_image.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/tb_megamenu\/js\/tb-megamenu-frontend.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/tb_megamenu\/js\/tb-megamenu-touch.js":1,"0":1,"https:\/\/ws.sharethis.com\/button\/buttons.js":1,"1":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/google_analytics\/googleanalytics.js":1,"2":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/radioactivity\/js\/radioactivity.js":1,"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/custom\/unnews_node\/js\/unnews_node.js":1,"sites\/all\/libraries\/owlcarousel\/owl.carousel.js":1,"3":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap_un_wss\/js\/bootstrap.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap_un_wss\/js\/dropdown.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap_un_wss\/js\/bootstrap-accessibility.min.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap_un_wss\/js\/owl-carousel.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap_un_wss\/js\/functions.js":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap_un_news\/js\/sub.js":1},"css":{"modules\/system\/system.base.css":1,"misc\/ui\/jquery.ui.core.css":1,"misc\/ui\/jquery.ui.theme.css":1,"misc\/ui\/jquery.ui.button.css":1,"misc\/ui\/jquery.ui.resizable.css":1,"misc\/ui\/jquery.ui.dialog.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/date\/date_api\/date.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/date\/date_popup\/themes\/datepicker.1.7.css":1,"modules\/field\/theme\/field.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/scaldtools\/scald\/modules\/fields\/mee\/css\/editor-global.css":1,"modules\/node\/node.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/scaldtools\/scald_file\/scald_file.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/scaldtools\/scald_twitter\/scald_twitter.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/views\/css\/views.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/ckeditor\/css\/ckeditor.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/ctools\/css\/ctools.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/word_link\/css\/word_link.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/radioactivity\/css\/radioactivity.css":1,"https:\/\/cdnjs.cloudflare.com\/ajax\/libs\/font-awesome\/4.4.0\/css\/font-awesome.min.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/tb_megamenu\/css\/bootstrap.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/tb_megamenu\/css\/base.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/tb_megamenu\/css\/default.css":1,"sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/tb_megamenu\/css\/compatibility.css":1,"\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css?family=Lato:300,400,700,900":1,"\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css?family=Merriweather:300,400,700,900":1,"\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css?family=Open+Sans:300,300italic,regular,italic,700,800\u0026subset=cyrillic-ext":1,"\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css?family=Open+Sans+Condensed:300,700\u0026subset=cyrillic-ext":1,"\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css?family=Roboto:400,100,100italic,300,300italic,400italic,500,500italic,700,700italic,900,900italic":1,"\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css?family=Roboto+Condensed:400,700":1,"\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/earlyaccess\/droidarabickufi.css":1,"\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/earlyaccess\/notonaskharabic.css":1,"\/\/fonts.googleapis.com\/css?family=Oswald:400,300,700\u0026subset=latin,latin-ext":1,"\/\/maxcdn.bootstrapcdn.com\/font-awesome\/4.2.0\/css\/font-awesome.min.css":1,"sites\/all\/libraries\/owlcarousel\/owl.carousel.css":1,"sites\/all\/libraries\/owlcarousel\/owl.theme.css":1,"sites\/all\/libraries\/owlcarousel\/owl.transitions.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap_un_wss\/fonts\/genericons\/genericons.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap_un_wss\/fonts\/font-awesome\/css\/font-awesome.min.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap_un_wss\/css\/main.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap_un_news\/css\/sub.css":1,"sites\/all\/themes\/bootstrap_un_wss\/css\/print.css":1}},"embridge":{"default_catalog":"catalog","selected_renditions":{"un_news_small":"un_news_small","un_news_medium":"un_news_medium","un_news_teaser":"un_news_teaser","un_news_default":"un_news_default","un_news_large":"un_news_large","un_news_full_width":"un_news_full_width","un_news_feature":"un_news_feature","un_news_photo_story":"un_news_photo_story"},"selected_wysiwyg_renditions":[],"allow_upload":false,"allow_search":false,"allow_properties":false},"scaldFile":{"path":"sites\/all\/modules\/scaldtools\/scald_file\/scald_file.css"},"googleanalytics":{"trackOutbound":1,"trackMailto":1,"trackDownload":1,"trackDownloadExtensions":"7z|aac|arc|arj|asf|asx|avi|bin|csv|doc(x|m)?|dot(x|m)?|exe|flv|gif|gz|gzip|hqx|jar|jpe?g|js|mp(2|3|4|e?g)|mov(ie)?|msi|msp|pdf|phps|png|ppt(x|m)?|pot(x|m)?|pps(x|m)?|ppam|sld(x|m)?|thmx|qtm?|ra(m|r)?|sea|sit|tar|tgz|torrent|txt|wav|wma|wmv|wpd|xls(x|m|b)?|xlt(x|m)|xlam|xml|z|zip","trackDomainMode":1},"radioactivity":{"emitters":{"emitDefault":[{"accuracy":100,"bundle":"news_story","energy":10,"entity_id":"1003141","entity_type":"node","field_name":"field_views_counter","language":"und","storage":"Redis","type":"none","checksum":"4ff7a9586248fbd61e84e6e7d60d78d1"}]},"config":{"emitPath":"\/en\/sites\/all\/modules\/contrib\/radioactivity\/emit.php","fpEnabled":1,"fpTimeout":"15"}},"urlIsAjaxTrusted":{"\/en\/story\/2018\/02\/1003141":true},"bootstrap":{"anchorsFix":"0","anchorsSmoothScrolling":"0","formHasError":1,"popoverEnabled":1,"popoverOptions":{"animation":1,"html":0,"placement":"right","selector":"","trigger":"click","triggerAutoclose":1,"title":"","content":"","delay":0,"container":"body"},"tooltipEnabled":1,"tooltipOptions":{"animation":1,"html":0,"placement":"auto left","selector":"","trigger":"hover focus","delay":0,"container":"body"}}});
Skip to main content
Welcome to the United Nations
Toggle navigation
Language:
Ш§Щ„Ш№Ш±ШЁЩЉШ©
дёж–‡
English
Français
Р СѓСЃСЃРєРёР№
EspaГ±ol
PortuguГЄs
Kiswahili
UN News
Global perspectiveHuman stories
Search form
Search
Advanced Search
Home Africa
Americas
Asia Pacific
Middle East
Europe
ICYMI
Topics Peace and Security
Economic Development
Humanitarian Aid
Climate Change
Human Rights
UN Affairs
Women
Law and Crime Prevention
Health
Culture and Education
SDGs
Migrants and Refugees
In depth Interviews
Features
Photo Stories
Programmes
Secretary-General Spokesperson
All Statements
Selected Speeches
Press Encounters
Official Travels
Media UN Video
UN Photo
Meeting Coverage
Media Accreditation
Home
Africa
Americas
Asia Pacific
Middle East
Europe
ICYMI
Topics
Peace and Security
Economic Development
Humanitarian Aid
Climate Change
Human Rights
UN Affairs
Women
Law and Crime Prevention
Health
Culture and Education
SDGs
Migrants and Refugees
In depth
Interviews
Features
Photo Stories
Programmes
Secretary-General
Spokesperson
All Statements
Selected Speeches
Press Encounters
Official Travels
Media
UN Video
UN Photo
Meeting Coverage
Media Accreditation
Subscribe
Audio Hub
South-eastern DR Congo at risk of humanitarian disaster of �extraordinary proportions,’ warns UN refugee agency
UNHCR/Colin DelfosseGroup of Congolese women showing the number of their children who have been abducted from their families during the conflict in Tanganyika province.
20 February 2018Humanitarian AidCautioning that the Tanganyika region in south-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo could be engulfed by a humanitarian disaster of “extraordinary proportions,” the United Nations refugee agency on Tuesday urged the Government to ensure protection of civilians.
“The violence spreading across Tanganyika, which is three times the size of Switzerland with a population of some three million, has now internally displaced over 630,000 people,” Andrej Mahecic, a spokesperson for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), said at the regular news briefing in Geneva, adding that this number is almost double the 370,000 who were displaced within Tanganyika in December 2016.
“People fleeing for their lives near the provincial capital Kalemie have shared stories of horrific violence during attacks against their villages, including killings, abductions and rape.”
According to UNHCR, fierce clashes between the Congolese armed forces and militias have continued since the end of January. At the same time, insecurity has increased due to violence by new armed groups and entrenched intercommunal conflict, fuelling mass displacement.
In the first two weeks of February alone, the UN agency’s partners have documented some 800 protection incidents.
Last year, more than 12,000 reports of human rights violations in Tanganyika and the nearby area of Pweto in the Haut Katanga province were documented, including violations to property rights, physical abuse, torture, murders, arbitrary arrests, forced labour, rape and forced marriages.
“Overall, already vulnerable displaced populations most often fell victim to the latest atrocities,” added the UNHCR spokesperson, noting that such acts were not only committed in the context of the ethnic conflict, but also by the soldiers deployed to fight the renegade militias and armed groups.
Less than $1 per person in need received in 2017 – UNHCR
The UN agency together with its partners are responding to the crisis. But given the scale of the calamity, is appealing for increased assistance to help the population cope.
Last year, the agency received less than $1 per person in need in donor contributions for its programmes for the internally displaced in the country. This severe lack of funding left many Tanganyika receiving hardly any humanitarian aid.
“For 2018, [we are] appealing for $368.7 million for the Congolese situation,” said Mr. Mahecic, noting that $80 million is required to support the internally displaced populations inside the country.
“[We also] call on the Congolese authorities to ensure the protection of the civilian population, to effectively follow-up any reports of crimes attributed to the armed forces and to put an end to the perception of impunity related to human rights abuses,” he added.
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Related Stories
Fleeing DR Congo violence, thousands take perilous lake journey to Uganda – UN
Restive eastern DR Congo home to one of world’s worst displacement crises for children – UNICEF
Thousands flee violence in eastern DR Congo, seek shelter in nearby countries – UN refugee agency
Facebook
Twitter
YouTube
Flickr
Instagram
Pinterest
Tumblr
Cuentas Oficiales de la ONU
News Tracker: Past Stories on This Issue
In crisis-torn eastern DR Congo, UN food relief agency expands operations to stem hunger
16 February 2018
Humanitarian Aid
Escalating violence, daunting logistical challenges and insufficient funding have prompted the United Nations food relief agency to broaden its emergency operation in the war-ravaged Kasai region in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Resources
Information for Broadcasters
UN System Links
Media Alert
UN Journal
Meetings Coverage
Audiovisual Library
Secretary-General
All Statements
Official Travels
Press Encounters
SG Twitter
Spokesperson's Office
Latest Statements
Briefing Highlights
Briefing Transcripts
Notes to Correspondents
Find Us
Facebook
RSS
Twitter
YouTube
Contact UN News
Navigate the News
United Nations
A-Z Site Index
Contact
Copyright
FAQ
Fraud Alert
Privacy Notice
Terms of Use
